Rewarded for a life well lived

Here is the text of the homily I prepared for the funeral we celebrated today, recalling the life of a man loved and cared deeply for many others who were privileged to share the journey with him.

Funeral homily for William Edward (Ted) King

Members of Saint Peter the Apostle parish as well as the Algonquin Regiment have come this morning to join you Rosellen, along with the other members of your extended family to express our sympathy and condolences to you, and to reassure you of our prayers for you.  Truthfully, we are all part of one extended family, united by the man who we have come to remember.

I wish to begin today by expressing my gratitude to Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Bryden, the Commanding Officer of the Algonquin Regiment, as well as to Chief Warrant Officer Kent Griffiths, the Regimental Sargent Major for the care and love with which they have recalled our brother Ted’s contributions to the life of the Regiment.

The gospel passage chosen for this celebration tells us that as Jesus hung on the cross, he saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her.  He said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son’ and to the disciple he said, ‘Here is your mother’ (Jn 19:26).  Jesus loved his mother very deeply; he also loved his disciples.  Since he knew that he himself would no longer be able to take care of them, he entrusted them to one another, implicitly asking them to take care of each another.

Taking care of others was something that Ted took very seriously.  Whether it was his wife, his children, his grandchildren, the members of his faith community or his brothers and sisters in the Regiment, he always took a keen interest in others and looked for ways to make them feel welcome, a part of the family.  In so doing, he imitated the example of the apostle John who took Mary, the mother of Jesus, into his home (cf Jn 19:27) cared for her and loved her as his own mother.

John and the other disciples had learned some very valuable lessons about life during the time they had spent with Jesus.  He had taken time with each one of them, to know them, to love them, to care for them, and in return each of them could recount the special moments they had shared with him.  Like the disciples, each one of us who have known Ted in this life can recall specific moments we have shared with him, lessons he has taught us and occasions when he made special efforts to care for us and to be present to us, especially when we were in need.  

How many of us saw wonder in Ted’s eyes as he introduced us to the adventure of setting up a campsite?  How many of us have shared his insatiable curiosity and thirst for travel?  How many of us can recall a testament to the fact that a man’s word must always be upheld in order to convince others of the importance of honour?  How many of us have been benefactors of Ted’s unending willingness to give of himself, to share his time and his talents with any of us who were in need?  How many of us have witnessed the importance of maintaining silence except to utter a word of encouragement or praise?  How many of us have learned the value of always remembering our roots, our family history, and the great treasure that our collective histories contribute to making us the people we are today?

Each of these memories is part of our common history and each one of them is worth preserving, etching into our memories and into our hearts.  These are the experiences that have molded us, crafted us into the people that we have become, but these lessons have not been learned just so that we can bury them or keep them for our own reflection.  We in turn must use the lessons we have learned in order to care for others, to love them and to help them to dream about the promise of a brighter future that is yet to come.

Good teachers know how to impart lessons, even without having to speak a word. On many occasions, Jesus had spoken to his disciples about love, and on the cross, he showed them the extent to which we must all be willing to love – even to the point of giving our lives if necessary.

Saint Paul explained to Timothy that a life that is lived out of love is a constant act of being poured out like a libation (2 Tim 4:6), and this is what every disciple is called to do.  It is not always easy to live a life that is constantly dedicated to loving, yet we must continue to do precisely this, for we look forward to a heavenly reward, a crown of righteousness which the Lord will give on the day (cf 2 Tim 4:8) when our earthly pilgrimage is done, when we will see him face to face.

Dearest friends, this promise has been passed on to each one of us.  We remember and give thanks today for Ted’s life of faith, but even as we commend his eternal soul into the Father's loving arms, let us never forget that our lives are also acts of faith that must be lived each day in trust, for we know that our Redeemer lives, and that on the last day, he will rise; in our flesh, we shall see God our Saviour (cf Job 19:25-27).